We recently connected with Marissa Jackson and have shared our conversation below.

Marissa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I never set out to be a content creator, podcaster, or YouTuber. I just knew one thing: I was tired of feeling stuck. Tired of the cycles, tired of the pain, tired of wondering if life was always going to feel this hard. I wanted more for myself, for my family, and for anyone else who had ever felt like they were just surviving instead of truly living. For years, I searched for answers. I read the books, listened to the experts, and tried to follow the advice of people who seemed to have it all figured out. But something always felt off. So much of what I found in the self-improvement world was surface-level, unrealistic, or disconnected from the real struggles people face every day. Healing from trauma, breaking out of negative cycles, learning to love yourself, it’s not just about a morning routine or a vision board. It’s deep, messy, and sometimes really hard.
I know because I’ve been there.

I realized there was a huge gap between what people were teaching about self-improvement and what people actually needed to hear. I wanted to create a space where people could learn, grow, and heal without the pressure to be perfect. Where we could talk about the real struggles, the days when motivation is nonexistent, the moments when self-doubt creeps in, and the reality of what it takes to truly change your life.That’s why I started Wellness from Scratch. It’s more than just a podcast or a YouTube channel. It’s a movement for people who are ready to rebuild their lives, piece by piece, with honesty, patience, and self-compassion. It’s for the people who feel like they’re behind, like they’ve made too many mistakes, or like they’ll never be “enough.”

Because I believe you don’t have to be perfect to be worthy. You don’t have to know what to do to want to make a change for the better. we can take those steps together. You just have to take one step forward, and then another. My goal isn’t just to share my own journey. It’s to create real conversations. Ones that challenge people, encourage them, and make them feel less alone. I bring in experts, share personal experiences, and provide practical, actionable steps that people can actually use in their daily lives. I know what it’s like to feel like no one understands. I know what it’s like to wonder if things will ever get better. And I also know that with the right mindset, support, and tools, you can create a life that feels good to wake up to.

Marissa, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I wasn’t always the person I am today. In fact, for a long time, I didn’t feel like I was really living at all.
I grew up in Detroit, and for a while, my life felt like it was at a complete standstill. I spent my days in my room, binge-watching Netflix, barely leaving the house. I wasn’t happy, I didn’t feel like I mattered, and I knew deep down that something had to change. But I had no idea how.
Somehow, I got pulled into a college political group, and before I knew it, I became the Vice President. That was one of the first times I felt like I was capable of more. Around the same time, I got a job at a diagnostic center—I loved the people I worked with, but I still felt like something was missing.
So, I took a leap. I cleaned up my resume and applied to over 50 jobs across the U.S. i got a call back for a job in a national park. I had no idea at the time that my cousin had once worked for the same company, but it felt like fate. They told me I had to arrive sooner than I had planned, so I talked to my dad, and we made it happen.
with in one week the trajectory of my life changed forever.

I was supposed to be gone for three months. It’s now been almost eight years, and I’ve never moved back home.That one decision set off a chain of events that took me places I never imagined—The Grand Tetons, the Grand Canyon, Lake Tahoe. I eventually got the opportunity to do a working holiday in New Zealand, planning to stay for a year before heading to Australia and then Asia. But in March 2019, right as my visa was ending, the world shut down. New Zealand went into lockdown, and I made a choice: I stayed. That’s how a city girl who had never even seen a cow in real life became a dairy farmer.
For three years, I worked in one of the toughest jobs I’ve ever had, pushing myself in ways I never expected. And in the middle of it all, I met my husband. Now, we live in Christchurch with our daughter, working every day to become better people for ourselves, for each other, and for our family.

But my journey wasn’t just about moving to new places or trying new jobs. It was about finding real well-being—and realizing how many people never get the chance to
I’ve lost people. People who didn’t know how to take care of themselves. People who maybe would still be here if they had access to the right knowledge, support, or tools. That is what drives me.

I started Wellness from Scratch because I know what it’s like to feel lost. I know what it’s like to feel like you’re so far behind that you don’t even know where to start. So, my goal is simple: To help people take small steps toward a better life.

Through my podcast and YouTube channel, I share honest conversations, personal experiences, and real, actionable steps that people can take to improve their well-being. I don’t believe in quick fixes or toxic positivity—I believe in progress, in showing up for yourself, even when it’s messy, even when it’s hard.

What sets me apart? I don’t pretend to have it all figured out. I’m still on this journey. I have PCOS and ADHD (I was diagnosed in 1997, which means as a girl in the ‘90s, my case had to be severe). I’ve faced real struggles, and I know what it’s like to feel like you’ll never get your life together but I also know it’s possible to create a life you love.

I’ve had people from my past tell me, “I can’t believe you made it—I’m so proud of you.” I’ve had followers message me, saying, “Watching your content makes me feel like I can do this.” That’s all I want.
I want people to walk away from my videos and my podcast feeling like they’re a little more in control of their lives than they were before—with small, practical steps they can take to take care of themselves.
Because you don’t need to have it all figured out. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to start.
And if no one else has told you today:
You are capable. You are worthy. And you are not alone.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that resilience isn’t just about getting through tough times, it’s about facing them head-on, even when you have no idea how. My dad always told me, “Whenever you have a problem, face it head-on so it’s behind you. That way, you don’t have to keep worrying about it or let it hang over your head.” I’ve carried that belief with me through every single challenge in my life, and it’s the mindset that got me through the hardest time I’ve ever faced. When the world shut down in 2019, I was in a country where I knew almost no one. I had no family, no safety net, and no one to lean on. Every single step, I had to figure out on my own. And in the middle of all of that, I somehow found myself doing something I never in a million years thought I’d do—becoming a dairy farmer.

It was brutal. I had never even seen a cow in real life, and suddenly, I was waking up at 4 AM to do hard, physical labor every single day. The isolation was crushing. My mental health hit an all-time low. But my dad’s words stayed with me—I wasn’t going to run from it. I was going to face it. So I pushed through, and something incredible happened. I came out stronger. Through showing up for myself every day—even when it was hard, even when I wanted to quit, even when I felt completely alone—I didn’t just survive. I built a life I never dreamed I would have because I faced the challenge head-on, I met my husband. Because I kept pushing forward, I was able to create a life I truly love. Now, whenever life throws something impossible at me—whether it’s building my podcast and YouTube channel, navigating motherhood, or just trying to keep myself sane. I remind myself: Face it. Push through and come out stronger on the other side.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

At the heart of Wellness from Scratch, my mission is simple: to help people take small, meaningful steps toward a better life. So many people feel stuck, like they’re trapped in cycles they don’t know how to break. I know that feeling because I’ve been there.

I started this journey because I’ve seen firsthand what happens when people don’t know how to take care of themselves. I’ve lost people I love to struggles they didn’t know how to escape. And I don’t want anyone else to feel like they’re completely alone in their battles.

Through my podcast and YouTube channel, I want to give people real, actionable ways to improve their well-being—without the pressure to be perfect. I don’t believe in quick fixes or some ultimate thing that fixes all your problems. I believe in progress, in small steps, in showing up for yourself even when it’s hard. If my content helps even one person feel a little more in control of their life, then I’m doing what I set out to do.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellnessfromscratchpodcast/
• Twitter: https://x.com/fromscratchfm?s=11
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@wellnessfromscratch?si=Qzx7kwl59yP1JpHi
• Other: Threads – https://www.threads.net/@wellnessfromscratchpodcast?xmt=AQGzz8sarIZ5VD3l-X8yPrlFriiAfDpG7ll4OnpMX5Sp-sQ

  Discord – https://discord.gg/9EXxEmp7

  Reddit – https://www.reddit.com/r/WellnessFromScratch/

  TikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@wellnessfromscratch?lang=en

Image Credits

Our Family Photographer Tory Ellison